"Miss Loki, aren't we going to call her over?"
"Conversion depends on personal will. If that shut-in doesn't want to let them go, we can't force him."
To Tsuna, that answer sounded exactly like something Loki would say—casual and unconcerned.
Her interest in that Pallum had been fleeting. In truth, even that curiosity had vanished the moment Soma's attitude shifted.
"So basically," Tsuna said lightly, "someone in the Soma Familia's about to get screwed."
Loki's grin was wide and sharp, carrying the distinct glint of hidden malice.
"Did their captain offend you, Miss Loki?"
"Who told that bastard to sell me fake wine!"
Fake wine.
Tsuna blinked, momentarily taken aback. Right—Soma Familia was a commercial Familia, and their business revolved around selling the divine wine brewed by Soma himself.
Because of how exquisite it was, even a single cup could fetch the price of three goblets of top-tier alcohol.
And yet, despite its outrageous cost, plenty of suckers still lined up to buy it—just for a taste of Soma's divine craftsmanship.
"Selling fake wine really is pushing it."
"I heard Soma's divine wine sells for quite a high price," Tsuna added.
"Not 'quite high,'" Loki corrected, frowning. "Insanely high."
Just remembering the cost made her feel like she'd been drinking liquid gold instead of wine.
"A tiny bottle goes for a hundred thousand valis. A full bottle? Over three million."
"That kind of money could buy a solid magic sword."
She scowled, her irritation bubbling back up. "And that bastard had the nerve to sell me watered-down crap! If trash like that's still allowed to stay in the Familia, then that shut-in god deserves some of the blame."
Just thinking about the fake wine made Loki's stomach twist in anger.
"Soma probably knows about it, right?"
"Oh, that guy? He's not stupid—just lazy. He knows what's happening inside his Familia, he just can't be bothered to deal with it. A god who's given up on his children can be that heartless."
"But once that shut-in sorts out who's responsible," she added with a sly smile, "we'll probably hear about the Soma Familia's internal shake-up by tonight."
"I bet their captain—the so-called 'Guardian of Wine'—is going to spend the rest of his life rotting in a Guild cell."
Her grin turned malicious again. Clearly, she still hadn't forgiven being swindled.
"So Soma himself will have to arrest the captain? How's something like that usually handled?" Tsuna asked, genuinely curious.
"There used to be two different standards," Loki explained. "The way things were handled three years ago… and how they're handled now."
"Three years ago… you mean before and after the Great Feud?" Tsuna guessed.
"Because adventurers who got in trouble used to convert to the Dark Faction, right?"
"Smart boy."
Loki gave a satisfied nod.
"That was one of the biggest problems the Labyrinth City had to deal with. Adventurers who'd committed crimes would get lured over to Dark Faction Familias, and through them, start infiltrating Orario from within."
"So because of all that, the old, lenient punishments were replaced with… much harsher ones."
"Especially for adventurers who broke the law," Loki went on. "To stop them from being seduced by the Dark Faction, the Guild started branding them with a permanent seal of extinction."
"They tampered with their Falna—made it so Conversion became impossible, and stripped them of all their trained power."
"The Guild turned them back into ordinary people."
That level of punishment… was brutal.
Tsuna's eyes widened slightly. Stripping away an adventurer's hard-earned strength—it was one of the cruelest things he'd ever heard.
"But isn't that kind of power easy to abuse?" he asked.
"Uh-huh," Loki hummed. "That's why the authority to judge such cases is strictly limited. Only one god can issue that kind of ruling—Ouranos."
"Since Ouranos stays deep beneath the Guild's altar, he never interferes in the city's politics. So even though he has that power, no one worries about him abusing it."
"Plus," she added, "Ouranos also manages the divine seals. When divine supervision deems it necessary, he can temporarily allow a god to regain a portion of their power."
"That makes him the best one to handle those punishments."
"No god can threaten him. No adventurer can either."
Tsuna nodded slowly, understanding now why Ouranos had been granted the right of divine judgment.
A god who never took sides… was the perfect one to maintain balance.
"So," Loki said with a feral grin, "that bastard who sold me fake wine is definitely done for this time."
Her expression turned almost predatory, the kind of look that promised she'd remember this for life.
"Embezzling Familia profits and disrupting city tax flow—just those two charges alone will ruin him completely."
"The shut-in ignored it before because he didn't care. But now that he does? That guy's gonna cough up every coin he swallowed."
Loki exhaled deeply and plopped herself down next to Tsuna, releasing all her pent-up irritation. She patted his leg lightly before letting her head fall right onto it.
Tsuna shifted slightly to give her space as her crimson hair brushed his lap. Her cheeks had gone rosier, and a faint scent of alcohol drifted from her body.
"Haah… that guy's divine wine really is something else."
"But seriously, the fact that even a goddess can't handle it—yet you can drink it without batting an eye, without any effect at all—that's impressive."
Loki's voice had softened, her usual sharpness dulled by drink.
She wasn't completely drunk like a mortal would be, but she was clearly in that fuzzy, dreamlike state between intoxication and clarity.
Tsuna didn't explain. He simply raised a hand, his fingertips glowing with soft orange light. The flame pulsed gently as he pressed it against Loki's forehead.
Warmth spread through her body, circulating in waves. Within seconds, the haze in her eyes cleared, her body relaxing as the tension melted away.
"Harmony… so this ability isn't just for Petrification," she murmured in surprise. "It can balance the body's inner state too—keeping everything stable."
"Yes," Tsuna replied quietly. "The sky isn't just overwhelming power—it's the ultimate in acceptance. That's why it can hold everything within it, even when the body or mind breaks."
Loki smiled faintly, genuine admiration flickering in her gaze.
"That's… a damn fine ability you've got there."